I have been avoiding this review. Let me give you the rundown on my thoughts for this blog post:

I should write this review as soon as possible so I can new people to find my website!

I still haven't figured this book out so I don't feel like I can write the book review yet.

I wasn't as fond of this book as I was hoping to be, and I don't really want to write the review because I generally love Neil Gaiman's books.

Maybe the book was about ______! No, that's dumb. I shouldn't have read that blog first.

You get the idea. It's been a battle. Maybe you're wondering which blog I shouldn't have read first, it's the post Amanda Palmer (Neil Gaiman's wife) wrote: "A Book & Marriage Review".

we were chatting about the book, i asked him a question about some of the symbolism in the story….and he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and looked at me.you twit,he said.and he filled in the blanks, and connected the dots for me.i’d missed it completely.i loved him so much in that moment.

I want to know what Neil Gaiman said. As I read the book, I tried to puzzle out what it was really about. Fail.

Anyway, so here is a breakdown of the book:

A young boy (who is never named, but you get the impression that Neil Gaiman is writing about himself as a child) meets the Hempstocks, the family that lives in the farm across the lane. They are what humans would call "magical" though the Hempstocks themselves would probably disagree. The youngest Hempstock, Lettie, shows our main character around the farm. She shows him the pond that is actually an ocean. She tells him to not let go of her hand. He does. What follows is a flea infestation, but not in the way you're thinking. People start getting what they want, which can only lead to trouble. What follows is dark and sad and fantastic. It's really hard to write a synopsis of this book because there is such fantasy involved, and there are things you need to know before you know other things. I can't tell you those things because you have to learn them at certain points. Thus is the difficulty in the synopsis.

Let's move on to the review:

My favorite Neil Gaiman books are "American Gods" and "Neverwhere". I like the fantasy and mythology in the stories. I like how stark American Gods is, and I like how fanciful and dark Neverwhere is. I would not count this book in my favorites. It is a fantasy book, but the story is too real. Fantasy aside, the book is about an angry father, a crumbling marriage and the boy who escapes by reading books. I think the reason I didn't love this book was that it was too real.

The writing, as always, was beautiful and efficient. His descriptions are unique and wonderful. The characters were terrifying and real. The book is very good. Why am I so reluctant to review it?

I think the reason I'm avoiding this is because I'm afraid Neil Gaiman is going to call me a twit.

I don't want to make guesses about what this book is really about because I'm probably wrong. Usually I am okay with books with meaning because I think that authors enjoy hearing what other people think their story is about. After reading Amanda Palmer's blog, I know there is one thing that this book is about, and I'm probably wrong about it.

I don't mind be wrong. I really don't. It's a learning experience. The problem I have is not knowing what "right" is. I know I might be wrong, I have no issues with that, but I will probably never know what Neil Gaiman told Amanda Palmer that the book was actually about. That drives me crazy. Being wrong is a learning experience. But you can't learn if you don't know why it was wrong.

I would definitely recommend this book to other people. If you're looking for a good, engaging read, this is for you. If you don't mind not knowing what the book is actually about, this book is for you. If you were once a young child that escaped into books, this book is for you. I can't deny that this book is excellent, not that I would want to deny it. I just can't be as excited about this book as others might.

If you ever check up on What I'm Reading, you will not only find out what I'm reading but also a little information about why I'm reading what I'm reading. I just finished reading "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. I was supposed to be reading it with someone so we could talk about it while we were reading it and then after. But, as things usually go, like "Anansi Boys", we didn't get the chance to finish it together... or really talk about it that much together. So my thoughts about this book are just that: my thoughts.

I bought my copy of "Coraline" at a Half Price Books store. There were two copies of it. One was $3 and in really good shape, and the other was $2 and a little waterlogged. Being the thrifty person that I am I bought the cheaper one, but for a second I want to tell you about the more expensive copy. I picked it up an flipped through the pages. I noticed something written in the front cover. In third grade cursive, it said, "This is the scariest book I have ever read!" What a great idea: leaving your reviews in the cover of the book! After that, I knew I would love the book.

Okay, after all that story, these are my thoughts about "Coraline":

I watched the movie before I read the book, and there was a lot about the movie that I didn't remember which is good because I was getting the story for what seemed like the first time. I don't want to tell you too much about the story, but here are a few things I really enjoyed about the story:

It was scary! If I ever have kids, I will read this book to them and hopefully scare them silly!... I can see the pranks now... and they involve buttons.

I love that Neil Gaiman isn't afraid to make a children's book dark. By doing so, I feel like he is really giving kids credit for being stronger than we make them out to be. I mentioned this idea in my "Ender's Game" review.

I love Neil Gaiman's writing. Not just his books, but the actual way he writes things. He's very deliberate in his details. He's not overly detailed, and his action scenes are fantastic! I feel like he can capture people well in his books... or maybe it's that he create people well...

My major problem with this book is that it was so short, but it is a kid's book, so I will allow it. I was engaged the whole way through it and I find that I think about it and it's been about a week since I finished it. Kudos, Neil Gaiman, not many people have done that recently. So, would I recommend this book to others? Wholeheartedly.

I was super skeptical about reading this book. I love Neil Gaiman's writing, and I loved "American Gods". When I heard about this sort-of sequel to "American Gods" I knew I would have to read it. There was no other choice. I was continuously reminded how much I loved "American Gods" so I kept putting off "Anansi Boys".

A good friend of mine offered to read a book with me so that we could talk about it as we were reading it. It seems we always agree on Gaiman's books. Well, he didn't start it and I did. Once I started it, I couldn't really put it down. So, I have read it and he has not. Turns out I'm okay with it.

These are my thoughts about "Anansi Boys":

I went into this book expecting it to be different than "American Gods" and I was right. Basically, it takes the beloved Mr. Nancy from AG and makes a story about his family. I will never cease to marvel at Neil Gaiman's creativity. He sees things in a way that I wish I could. His detail and ability to bring characters to life is phenomenal. I enjoyed the beginning of the story, though I had no idea where it was going. You find yourself looking at the ever so average Fat Charlie Nancy. He finds out he has a brother that he never knew about. He also finds out how to contact his brother. Once they meet, the strangest things start to happen. From that moment on, your taken on a whirlwind adventure of danger, fun, shenanigans, and a lime.

As odd as this is to say, I love Neil Gaiman's bad guys. I really rather like Grahame Coates, though I would never want to meet him, and even Tiger has a place in my heart.

The story itself is extremely engaging and is well written. The plot keeps turning and you find yourself, by the end of the book, in a sort of Twilight Zone version of where you thought you'd be in the beginning. I am so glad I was not comparing it to AG or even expecting a continuation of the story. These two books have a similar concept and character, but that's about the only connection. They both stand on their own feet, and they stand there proudly.

Would I recommend this book to others? Wholeheartedly. I am consistently pleased with Gaiman's work and wish I was 1/10 as creative as he is. *sigh* Can't win 'em all! That's okay though, because I still get the chance to read them all!

...speaking of Neil Gaiman books... this good friend of mine that is reading with me has decided that the next book we will read together (this time for real) will be Coraline. Check out what I'm reading whenever you get a chance. I update it whenever I post a review or start reading something new!

For the record, these reviews are my personal opinions about the books I volunteer to read. I'm not getting paid by anyone to read or review them. A lot of people charge a penny for their thoughts... mine are free.